: discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities

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Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. It is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require ‘fixing’ and defines people by their disability. Like racism and sexism, ableism classifies entire groups of people as ‘less than,’ and includes harmful stereotypes, misconceptions, and generalizations of people with disabilities.

RESOURCES:

• • ACCESS Living

Ableism 101: What it is, what it looks like, and what we can do to fix it

• • Disability Visibility Project

The Americans With Disabilities Act Remains Crucial In The Fight Against Ableism 29 Years Later

• • Medical News Today

What is ableism, and what is its impact?

• • GLOSSARY OF ABLEIST PHRASES

A comprehensive glossary of ableist terms by disability rights activist Lydia X. Z. Brown

• • What Ableism Means and Why It Matters

So what, exactly, counts as ableism?  How it tends to show up. Examples.  Why does it happen? What’s the impact? How to avoid it.  Questions to ask yourself. Words can have a lasting impact, too. The bottom line.

• • What if wheelchairs became like glasses? An excerpt from “My Body Is Not a Prayer Request” by Amy Kenny

An excerpt from My Body Is Not a Prayer Request by Amy Kenny. Very good article on ablism and cultural identity.

Videos on Ableism

Disabling Ableism: The Modern Pathway to Inclusion

What is Ableism?

Confronting ableism: What it is and how we can challenge it

Things People With Disabilities Wish You Knew

See also “Eliminating Ableism in Education” THOMAS HEHIR Harvard Educational Review Vol. 72 No. 1 Spring 2002